Inside the Capitol

In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King makes an observation about the impact the early Christians had in the public square stating, “there was a time when the church was very powerful… the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.”

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Historic turnover within the State Legislature presents both an opportunity and responsibility to make an impression on a new cohort of lawmakers. All 201 seats in the Minnesota Legislature are up for election this year. Minnesota Catholics must take advantage of this opportunity to transform the Legislature into a lawmaking body that places the common good over partisan rancor. Filling that tall order begins by forming our consciences and informing ourselves about the candidates who seek to represent us.

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The overturning of Roe is not an end, it is just the beginning. This has been the refrain from the pro-life movement since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. So, if this is just the beginning, how do we get to the end where abortion is not simply illegal but truly unthinkable?

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Guns are claiming the lives of U.S. children at alarming rates. It is the second leading cause of death for our kids. We’re just halfway through 2022, and already firearms have claimed the lives of over 700 children under age 19, including the 19 who were recently killed by an 18-year-old in a mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas. 

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Opposing Pro-Abortion Policies

As the legislative session winds down, lawmakers are pushing bills that energize their supporters ahead of the election. This was visible on May 12 when the Minnesota Senate Democrats attempted to vote on nine bills, some of which promoted pro-abortion ideology. Fortunately, each attempt failed the procedural vote.

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Minnesota Legislature works to shield youth from harmful social media algorithm use

Social media use has increased tremendously over the last decade, especially among younger users. Much chatter has erupted around the country over the damaging content social media algorithms feed to our children, and how said algorithms ought to be controlled.

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Politics—the great conversation about how we order our life together—should focus first on meeting the needs of the most vulnerable among us (cf. Matthew 25). Thousands of well-meaning proposals have been introduced by legislators. Limitations on time and resources mean priorities must be set. As House and Senate committees held hearings to decide those priorities, Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) advocated for two important proposals that would show a “preferential option for the poor and vulnerable.”

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Each spring, the bishops from Minnesota’s six dioceses who comprise the Minnesota Catholic Conference convene in St. Paul to meet with the Governor and key state legislators.  The annual day of meetings, which typically occurs around the mid-point of the legislative session, helps give momentum to the advocacy of MCC staff, who are tasked with bringing the bishops’ legislative concerns to the attention of lawmakers. 

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